Fastening device



Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEA 3 Claims.

The ,invention relates to devices for fastening or securing articles to apertured partitions having only one surface which is readily accessible. The term partition as used herein is intended to include all types of Walls, ceilings or bulkheads. Necessity frequently arises for securing some article to a partition only one side of which is readily accessible, as, for example, securing a thermostat to a plaster wall in a house or a lighting fixture to a ceiling. In such` cases it is desirable that some through-type of fastener be used, that is,` one that extends entirely through the partition and is anchored on the opposite or inaccessible side.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a through fastening device ofthe character described which may not only be applied but also readily removed by manipulatory operations carried out on one side only of the partition to which it is secured.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastening device of the type described which is very economical to make although rugged in construction and effective in operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent as the following delscription proceeds taken in 'connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of an apertured partition and a fastening device applied thereto embodying the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sectional Views similar to Fig. l illustrating various steps in applying the fastening device to the partition and removing it therefrom;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of an anchor plate included in the fastening device of Fig. 1.

The invention has been shown herein as e1nbodied in a fastening device applied to a portion of a partition or wall III embodying a front layer of plaster IIIa and a back layer or reenforcing strip of Wood Ib. It will be understood, however, that the fastening device may be readily applied to partitions made of a large variety of different types of material such as Wood, concrete, metal, plaster or combinations thereof. The article to be supported by the device may also be any one of a large variety. In some yinstances it may be desirable toA fashion the fastening device as part of the structure of the article supported, and in other instances to make it entirely separate.

In the particular embodiment of the invention herein illustrated the fastening device includes a fiat base II which may, if desired, be provided With a borderflange II. to give it a box-like shape. Such additional parts of the base plate as the border flange may or may not be included, depending upon the nature of they article to be supported. Any suitable means may be utilized for securing the supported article to the base II. For the sake of economy in manufacture, the base plate II is preferably fashioned as a stamping from sheet metal.

An opening I3 is fashioned in the base II registering with anv aperture I4 which is drilled or otherwise formed in the partition I0. In the kpresent instance, the opening I3 is bordered by anintegral laterally extending and slightly tapering flange I5, which. projects into the partition aperture I4 and aids in securing the base II against displacement. In the event that the device is applied to a partition having at least a front layer made of relatively soft material,r such as plaster or wood, projections may be fashioned on the ilange I5 which bite into the partition material and hold the base II against rotation. These projections have been shown herein as formed by longitudinal flutes I6 on the flange I5. As a further means of holding the base II against skewing or rotation, a sharp pointed tongue I'I is struck out from the base plate to engage the partition. In the -event that the device is applied vto a partition having a hard front surface as, for

example, when made of concrete the tongue I'I is, of course, omitted from the construction or else bent` back into alinement with the base plate so that it will not engage the hard partition material which it is incapable of penetrating.

An elongated member resiliently' yieldable in a longitudinal direction such as a helical tension spring I8 is secured to the base II adjacent the opening I3 and ina position to be inserted into the partition aperture I4. In the illustrative ernbodiment, thespring I8 has beenl shown as anchored at its outer end to a tongue IIa struck out from the base plate I I. The resilient character of the spring permits it to be pivoted or swung laterally as, for example, from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3. The spring I8 or' similar yieldable member is made suciently small in diameter or cross-section that it may be moved laterally within the partition aperture I4 a substantial distance. length of the spring is made substantially less than the thickness of the partition to which it is to be applied.

An anchor member I9 is pivotally or movably secured to the free or inner end of the spring I8. This anchor member is, in general, dimensioned, first, to be' inserted through the partition aperture I4 when swung into longitudinal alinement with the spring I8 (Fig. 2), and second, to overlie the edges of the partition aperture on the rear face of the partition when swung to a position transverse to the spring I8 (Fig. l). The anchor plate I9 is also.` preferably fashioned as aL stamping from sheet metal and may be of a channel or In addition the untensioned half-round shape so as to fit snugly about the side of the helical spring I8 While being inserted through the partition aperture. The anchor plate I9 is pivotally or loosely connected at approximately its center 20 to the end of the spring I8. For this purpose the end of the spring is projected through an aperture in the anchor plate at its center and the end portion of the spring bent to prevent disengagement (Figs. 1 and 2).

In order to facilitate the application and removal of the fastening device, a lug 2| is struck out from the anchor plate I9 so as to present a shoulder on the interior thereof facing toward the pivot point 20 and longitudinally displaced therefrom. A tool (Fig. 3) may be provided for applying and removing the fastening device to the partition. The tool illustrated generally resembles a blunt pointed ice pick and comprises a long rod 22, insertable through the interior of the spring I8, and a handle 23. The blunt end of the rod 22 is dimensioned to engage the lug 2l on the anchor plate I9.

In applying the fastening device illustrated to the partition I0, the base plate II is first positioned on the front of the partition and the tongue I'I driven into the partition surface. At the same time, the spring I8 is inserted through the previously prepared partition aperture I4 and the fiuted flange I5 is inserted into this aperture. During this insertion operation the anchor plate I9 is turned so that it is longitudinally alined with the spring I8 and embraces the same. The tool rod 22 is then pushed through the center of the spring I8 and engaged with the lug 2l on the anchor plate I9. After having been engaged with this lug the tool is pushed in farther so that the spring I8 is extended and the anchor plate positioned approximately as shown in Fig. 2. The next step is to swing the tool upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the upper end of the anchor plate I9 is (by slightly withdrawing the tool) permitted to engage 'the inner face of the partition I0. Finally the tool is completely Withdrawn and at the same time swung downwardly to its initial horizontal position during the withdrawal movement. As a result ofl such withdrawing operation, the anchor plate I9 fulcrums about its upper end, under the bias of the spring I8, and comes to rest in the position shown in Fig. 1. In this latter position the spring I8 holds the anchor plate I9 pressed tightly against the rear face of the partition so that the fastening device is held firmly against displacement.

If, at any time, it is desired to remove the fastening device, that may be done by carrying out the operations described above in substantially the reverse order. In general, the tool rod 22 isv inserted through the spring I8 and pushed against the lower part of the anchor plate I9 so that the latter fulcrums about the upper end until the end of the too-l contacts the lug 2 I. Inward pressure on the tool is then continued until the anchor plate swings into the position of Fig. 2. 'Ihen as the tool is moved axially outward, the spring I8 pulls the anchor plate longitudinally into the partition aperture I4. With the parts in that position the base plate II can be readily pulled from the front of the partition and the whole device removed intact. It will thus be seen that only a very simple tool is required in manipulating the fastening device described and that the various manipulatory operations are extremelysimple to carry out. Furthermore, all

of the parts of the device always remain secured together so that none of them can be readily lost or mislaid and the device can be conveniently merchandised as a complete unit.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in some detail for purposes of explanation of its various novel features, there is no intention to thereby limit the invention to such embodiment, but, on the other hand, the appended claims are intended to cover all modifications' and alternative constructions within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. A device for securing articles to an apertured partition or the like only one side of which may be readily accessible comprising, in combination, a base member adapted to be positioned on the front of the partition adjacent the aperture therein, an `elongated longitudinally yieldable resilient member secured to said base and adapted to be inserted into the partition aperture, an elongated anchor member pivotally secured at approximately the center thereof to the outer end of said yieldable member, and a projection on the inner face of said anchor member displaced from the point of its pivotal connection with said yieldable member and engageable by a tool inserted through the partition aperture to push said anchor member away from the inner face of the partition and pivotally into a position alined with said yieldable member for the withdrawalv of the anchor` member through the partition aperture.

2.*In a through-fastener device of the type described the combination with an apertured sheet metal base plate, of an integral longitudinally iiuted flange on sa'idbase plate bordering the aperture therein and insertable into a registering aperture in a partition to frictionally engage the same, an anchor member adapted to engage the side of the partition opposite said base plate, and means carried by said base plate for yieldably and releasably holding said anchor member in position.

3. A device for securing articles to an apertured partition or the like only one side of which may be readily accessible comprising, in combination, a flat sheet metal base adapted to lie against the front face of the partition and having an opening therein registrable with the partition aperture, an elongated helical tension spring cennected at one end tosaid base adjacent said base opening and insertable into the partition aperture, the untensioned length of said spring being substantially less than the thickness of the partition, an elongated channel-shaped sheet metal anchor plate pivotally connected to the free end of said spring at approximately the center of the inner side of said anchor plate, said anchor plate being movable from a position longitudinally alined with said spring to a position transverse to the axis of the spring, and a projection on the inner face of said anchor plate displaced from its point of pivotal connection of said spring and engageable by a tool inserted from the base plate side of the device and through the center of said spring to push said anchor plate away from the inner face of said partition and pivotally into a position alined with said spring for Withdrawal of the anchor plate through the partition aperture.

ANDREW M. I-IEXDALL. 

